A Work Of Art
by theonewhosawitall
Summary: When Chat asks Ladybug who she likes, she can think of no one to lie about but Nathaniel. So when Adrien figures out who ladybug is, and who her crush is, what can he do but go insane with jealousy?
1. Chapter 1

Marinette doodled in her notepad, trying to catch the curve of Adrien's lip as best she could. She had been sketching him instead of taking notes since someone started talking about molar mass. Tikki sat on her pen holder, watching the pencil flick back and forth.

"Ayla could be right y'know. If Adrien had completely green eyes and cat ears, he could be Cat Noir," She said, casually.

"What?! Of course, he isn't. We've had to work together to save Adrien before, several times! He can't be Adrien," Marinette laughed.

"Have you ever actually seen him in danger? Or being rescued? And when we had to defeat the Horrificator, the only person we didn't see kidnapped was Adrien!"

"That's not true. We didn't see anyone get kidnapped we just followed the trail! Trust me Tikki, it's not Adrien!"

"I'm sure you're right," Tikki said.

She sighed softly. As much as she loved Marinette, Tikki was beginning to get fed up with her faults. First it was idolising Adrien and decorating her room with a mildly creepy wallpaper of his face, then it was stealing phones, and now she was ignoring obvious signs that Adrien was the other half of her superhero duo! She and Adrien were two halves of one whole, just as she and Plagg were. Yet somehow, they couldn't see it.

"We've gotta go! The library opens soon and we have to get there!" Tikki declared.

Marinette gasped at the time. "Good call Tikki. Spots on!"

As Ladybug came swinging down to land in front of the library, the gathered crowd whooped and cheered. Adrien couldn't help smiling when he saw the flash of red and black swooping through the air.

"Nice of you to drop by," he purred.

She flashed him a smile, "I was making myself look pretty for you."

"You're always pretty to me, milady," he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

She laughed and pushed him away, but her smile made his heart melt.

"Now Ladybug has finally arrived we can get on with the ceremony!" The mayor declared.

Ladybug stepped forwards to stand beside the mayor. There was a purple ribbon in front of the library doors, ready for her to cut and declare open. Down in the front row was Chloe, yelling and waving and claiming to be Ladybugs best friend, and Ayla rolling her eyes at her. Marinette tied hard not to laugh at her best friend. The mayor beamed at her, and held out the giant scissors for her to cut the ribbon with.

Marinette held her hand up in refusal, and took a step back. "With all due respect mayor bourgeois, it's the kitty here with the best claws to cut with."

Adrien beamed as he walked forward. "Why thank you ladybug!"

She noted, with a dull sense of pride, that less people cheered for him than they had for her. Once the library was open, the pair of them stepped to the side to allow everyone to push past, into the library. Ayla tried to get another interview with Ladybug, but Ladybug kept pushing Chat between them, to try and get more attention on him. She didn't really need to feed his ego, he could do that himself, but it was beginning tricky to find somewhere to hide when she had to transform since everyone was trying to get her attention.  
Ayla had a million questions, and Ladybug tried to answer as many as possible, but eventually Chat stepped in the way.

"Enough. Even we have to rest," he chuckled.

Ayla smiled back and apologised for being overly enthusiastic.

"No problem, keep investigating, you're excellent!" Marinette grinned.

Before Ayla could keep talking, Chat put his arm around Ladybugs shoulders and walked her away from this conversation. Ladybug peeled his arm off her, and pushed him away. He chuckled as she did.

"Alright, it was good seeing you, let's do it again soon," she said.

Ladybug began to swing her yo-yo to try and pick up speed when Chat gave her a hopeful look and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait - do you, maybe, like, wanna hang?" He asked awkwardly.

Ladybug tilted his head at him. He gave her a nervous smile.

"Do I wanna hang?" She repeated.

"As friends! C'mon bug, we never hang out unless we're fighting an akuma. Let's just go get ice cream. My treat!" He insisted.

Marinette thought about this for a while. All she had planned for today was to finish sketching Adrien, and her new outfit design on him. She glanced back at Chat. He still looked hopeful. Something in those puppy-dog - err, kitty cat - eyes, made her feel a surge of affection.

"Well I don't want to be the one to stand between a cat and his cream," she smiled.

Chat beamed in delight. "Yeah! Right! So you'll come?"

Marinette looped up her yo-yo and hooked it back into place on her hip. "Sure. Lead the way."

Ladybug and Chat Noir sat on the rooftop of a tall building together. He leaned his back against the taller part of the building, sat on the ledge, with his knee up, and his leg dangling over the edge. Ladybug sat on the floor, leaning against the wall of the ledge, by his feet. They had given her chocolate buttons on her strawberry ice cream to look like ladybug. Chats chocolate ice cream had chocolate triangles in to look like a cat. They were cute.

"Ice cream selfie?" He grinned, cheekily.

Ladybug laughed and shrugged. He raised his phone high over the edge of the building with made her stomach feel queasy. She remembered, all too vividly, almost dropping Ayla's phone from her balcony. If he dropped his phone...

"Smile!" He beamed.

She threw up a peace sign and grinned with her ice cream. He winked, but held up his ice cream too. Then he brought his phone to his chest to look at the picture. Marinette giggled. It was strange to her that he could hold a phone in his claws with ease this high up, and she couldn't hold one without almost dropping it from her hand to the pavement.

"Care to share the laughter, my lady?" He asked, between licking the ice cream.

"Nothing really. I was thinking of a friend of mine. She's a klutz. Cute though. Sweet too. But she trips over the air sometimes,"

This girl reminded Adrien of Marinette. "I know a girl like that too."

"Maybe it's the same girl," she chuckled.

"Maybe. I had to defend her from the Evillustrator when they went on a date," he explained.

Her stomach twisted. He was talking about her. She gave a nervous chuckle, hoping desperately that he wouldn't put two and two together. Instead, she licked her ice cream quietly.  
Adrien watched her intensely. Since Ayla found the text book and suggested Ladybug might be a girl in their school, he couldn't help but try to figure out who. He'd already ruled out all the girls who had been akumatized before, since he'd fought all of them with her. Marinette had never been akumatized.

"So... ladybug... are you anyone's little love bug?" he teased.

She dropped her ice cream onto her chest in surprise. Chat felt a little guilty, but it was squashed by a tidal wave of relief when she said "Me? A love bug? No!"

Chat Noir felt a purr in his chest and his ears flicked happily. She was single. She would be his lady. He just had to find the words to say it.

"I mean, it's not like there's no one," she continued.

His tail flicked urgently. Was she talking about him? Or was she talking about someone else? Either way he was beginning to feel hot under the collar.

"Anyone I might know?" He asked, flexing his muscles pointedly.

Marinette laughed, which caused her to move her head back, into his leg. That made his legs tingle. Whenever they touched she sent tingles through him.

"Unfortunately, I have never kissed the boy, which rules you out," she chuckled.

Adrien tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

Marinette gave him a look that said ha-ha-very-funny. Then she realised that he was genuinely shocked and confused by what she was saying, and she frowned.

"You seriously don't remember our kiss?"

Adrien felt like screaming. Kiss?! What kiss?! When had they kissed?! She could clearly see the shock and confusion still filling his eyes, so she tried to remember what had happened as vividly as possible, in case there was a minor detail that he remembered.

"Remember valentine's day when dark cupid started destroying how people saw their loved ones?"

"Sort of."

He remembered that clear as a bell. Well parts of it. He remembered hunching over a poem he was trying to write and getting frustrated. He remembered walking up to Ladybug, ready to tell her everything. Then there was a blur. Then he got a valentine's day card replying to his poem, which he was convinced was from her. Ladybug. His ladybug. But then she hadn't said anything, so he could help doubting it was from her, and had made himself too nervous to bring it up.

But they hadn't kissed... had they?

"You were going to use your cataclysm on me and the only way I could break the spell was to kiss you. It worked," ladybug shrugged, as if it were nothing.

As if. It was. NOTHING!

"But - but - but - you kissed me?! And you never thought to mention this before?!"

"Sorry, I thought you remembered and then you never mentioned it, so I thought I wouldn't bother to," Marinette shrugged again.

Adrien sat back on his hunches, face still, taking in everything as carefully as possible. They had kissed - no, she had kissed him, and no one had told him, but the boy she liked, she had never kissed.  
Ladybug had kissed him, and still not fallen in love.  
His tail beat and curled in annoyance.  
She could shrug and laugh about it and he was filled with a bubble of screams because he couldn't remember kissing the woman he loved. He would never remember their FIRST KISS! And here she was acting like that didn't matter!

That had to be fixed.

"but, like I said, I've never kissed the boy I do like, so it can't be you," she added, almost cheerfully.

The world came crushing down onto him, ready to destroy every bone in his body.

"You never kissed… the boy you like?" he muttered.

Well she had technically. But he forgot about it, and she didn't know it was him. A tragedy. Marinette shrugged innocently.

"He's just too... whenever I try to talk to him I just... it's not like talking to you. I know you. I like you. I can tell you anything and I know you won't tell anyone because you couldn't. No one would believe you if you tried. But him... I get so nervous I get tongue tied and end up making a fool of myself!"

She tucked her knees up to her chin, and sighed sorrowfully. Chats tail flicked in jealousy. How comes he could make her flustered? How could he take someone as cool and collected as Ladybug and make her so nervous she could hardly talk to him? Why couldn't he do that?  
Adrien didn't want to know anymore, because he knew it would just annoy him, but something made him desperate for details. To know who had stolen his lady from him, and didn't even know!

"What's he like? He's got to be someone pretty miraculous to win your heart bugaboo," he leaned forward, so his belly was across the ledge and his head was beside hers.

She couldn't bring herself to look into those huge acid-green eyes of his. If she had, she was sure she'd tell him everything.

Marinette gave a breezy laugh, because her lungs were drowning in anxiety. "Oh, you wouldn't know him!"

"Maybe I would. And anyway how can I help you get him-" the words stuck in his throat. Helping someone else win her heart could actually kill him. "If I don't know who he is?"

Marinette realised she'd messed up. She couldn't admit that she was in love with Adrien. Adrien the super model. The rich, handsome, sweet boy that every girl had a crush on! How cliché!  
Besides now Tikki had pointed it out, she was beginning to notice how much Cat Noir looked like him. But the only other boy she could think of was poor Nathaniel.

Marinette hoped this wouldn't come back to bite her.

"Well… he's cute," she began, slowly.

Chat curled his paw around his ear, like a real cat, to make his point. She didn't notice.

"he's got these eyes…"

Chat blinked a few times, and still she ignored him.

"they're like… they're the same colour as the sea in travel guides around the Bahamas. His hair falls over them all the time though. He had to keep brushing it out of his face, and I think it's funny, because his eyes are like the sea, but his hair is so orange it could be fire!"

Marinette gave a small laugh at the idea of elements playing on someone's face. She didn't really think much of Nathaniel before, but now she had to, she was thinking about how he would be a good model for the new jacket she was making. I mean, he wouldn't be as good at it as Adrien, but let's be real, she would never be able to ask Adrien to model for her, let alone watch him do it!

Meanwhile chat had dug his nails into his ice cream cone so deeply that it had broken apart and was dropping down to the street twelve floors below.

"and he's an artist. Creative, and emotional, y'know? I love watching him draw. When he gets the picture in his head nothing can stop him. he starts sketching and it's like there's nothing else in the room. Even the teach- um, even the people in charge of him, can't stop him. he could draw the perfect date on a canal boat, with the moon on the top of the Eiffel tower and music for the two of you to dance to alone, if it would make you happy…"

Marinette had often thought of that date with the Evillustrator. Sure, he was akumatized, and he definitely didn't remember it anymore, but… well it that was what Nathaniel felt, she felt bad to just pretend she didn't know. But he reacted to her, how she reacted to Adrien. Only better and more controlled. Marinette hung her head. He deserved better.

Chat growled under his breath. Here was his lady, HIS Ladybug, going goo-goo-eyed over some ginger artist! Although that description, it was niggling at him. he was sure he'd seen something like that before somewhere. He couldn't think about it now. Adrien's' mind was to full of angry cotton balls hiding everything he was supposed to think logically about. He felt how he did at Christmas again. Like using his cataclysm on anything and everything that would dare to be happy. Not ladybug. Never ladybug. But this artist?! This lady-stealing, fire-haired, sea-eyed, creep?!

Adrien stood up. His claws had been digging into his palm so deep he had almost sliced through his glove. He couldn't be here right now.

"I gotta go… I promised someone I'd meet them in an hour," he lied.

"oh. Ok. this was fun, we should do it again sometime!" ladybug smiled.

Usually that smile could fill him with a warmth that turned his insides to a puddle, but now he was wondering how she smiled at him. was it this smile? His smile?! Or did he get his own special one?

That's the one he wanted.

"sure. Anytime milady," he bowed, and back flipped off the ledge.

Once he was gone, Marinette let go of the breath she'd been holding for ages.

"Tikki, spots off."

Tikki sat on Marinette's knee, and gave her a concerned look.

"You can't play with Nathaniel's emotions like that Marinette! What if this somehow gets back to him?!" she insisted.

Marinette shook her head. "I know but how could it? chat doesn't know Nathaniel! He'd never find out."

Tikki groaned with worry. For some reason, she was certain that Nathaniel was going to find out. Then he was going to be hurt again. Then maybe they would have to face The Evillustrator yet again. Things were not looking good in Tikki's eyes.  
although, she forced herself to consider the positives, maybe Nathaniel had gotten over his crush on Marinette. Maybe he'd moved on. Maybe there was no reason to worry.

Maybe.


	2. Chapter 2

"I know she's here Plagg. I just know it," Adrian said though gritted teeth.

"Gee, I wonder which one she is," Plagg rolled his eyes sarcastically.

Plagg knew exactly who Marinette was. He'd always known. He and Tikki were connected, two halves of one whole, they would always find their way back to one another. Tikki, for some reason, trusted Plagg. None of the other kwamis did anymore. He was a tiny condensed power that was made for total destruction. When he accidentally made a mistake, it was a big mistake. The fire of London? Plagg sneezed the ember out of the oven. When rome fell? He fell out of his kitty's bag and scared the guard on watch, distracting him while the barbarians began to attack. The collapse that trapped those Chilean miners? Plagg leaned too heavily on a beam.  
But she trusted him.  
She was there when no one believed that he was sorry.  
she understood.  
She was the half that fixed everything, and she was the half that cured everyone, and she was trying to fix him.  
Plagg smiled dreamily over at the bag that lay at Marinette's feet. Tikki was smarter than him. more rule abiding than him. you could describe it as – although he didn't understand why – she was the Hufflepuff to his Slytherin. Whatever that meant, it made sure that she stayed low in that bag, so no one would see her. not even him.

"Whatcha sketching dude?"

Nino's voice cut Adrien out of his search for Ladybug. He turned his head to face his friend. Nino was leaning past him, to look over at Ayla across the classroom. Ayla held up her paper. On it was a doodle of Marinette.

"whoa she really captured your eyes Marinette!" Nino beamed.

"yeah, it's really good Ayla, well done," Adrien smiled.

"thanks! I've been getting tips on how to draw her," Ayla said, proudly.

Marinette gave an awkward, flattered, laugh. "why did you draw me?"

"it's a surprise," Ayla winked.

Marinette groaned. Her surprises were never that good. "Ayla."

"FINE!" Ayla was far too excited to keep it in anyway, "you know how your birthday's coming up? Well, I though I'd make you a collage of everyone who got akumatized, and have you in the middle looking scared."

"What?" Marinette frowned.

"Girl you and Adrien are the only two who haven't been akumatized yet! I don't know what makes you so lucky, but I'm gonna exploit it," Ayla grinned.

Adrien frowned. She was right. It was only him and Marinette left. And ladybug was always at his side when someone got akumatized, and ladybug was in this room… the realisation that dawned on him in that moment made Plagg do a backflip. YES! HIS NEW KITTY WASN'T AS DUMB AS THE LAST ONE! The last one never figured it out.

"maybe you can draw Marinette as Ladybug," he declared.

"what?!" Marinette squeaked.

"what?" Ayla laughed.

"what?" Nino looked confused.

"I'm just saying, maybe if everyone else is dressed up, she should be too. Since everyone else is taken, try ladybug," Adrien stared at her, searching for any sign that he was right.

"NO! No, no!" Marinette tried to laugh it off, awkwardly, "I don't look a thing like ladybug!"

Adrien stared at Marinette. He watched her bright blue eyes. Sure, there was less confidence in them now, but they were her eyes. Ladybugs eyes. He could get lost in them. and her hair! She didn't even try to change it when becoming ladybug! How could he have sat in front of his lady day in, day out, and not notice her?

Ayla leaned out from her chair, and called to the boy sitting at the back of the classroom. "hey, Nathaniel?!"

"yeah?" he asked.

"y'know that picture we're doing? For Marinette's birthday?"

Adrien turned his head to look at Nathaniel. His sea blue eyes. His fiery hair that fell in front of them. he'd been the one who took Marinette on that date! Granted, he was the Evillistratior then, but that was the date she'd been describing. he was an artist too! Full of emotions! Right now, he was embarrassed. Adrien knew this because he was flushing pink. Marinette was turning pink too, and was keeping her head down. Adrien's chest knotted. He filled with a red-hot jealousy. So she did like Nathaniel.

"what if we made Marinette ladybug?" Ayla asked.

"Marinette? Ladybug? As if!" chole scoffed.

Adrien frowned at Chole. Of course Marinette was ladybug. She had to be. no matter how much he disagreed with Chole, he didn't have the guts that Ayla did. Ayla might not have believed that Marinette actually was ladybug, but she was damn certain that chole wasn't.

"well if there's one think I know for sure, chole, it's that you're not ladybug, or anything close to her!"

Chole gasped in offence. "ladybug and I are bffs!"

Ayla scoffed, "sure!"

While Chole and Ayla argued, Adrien watched Marinette. She laid her head on the desk and covered it with her arms. Adrien felt a rush of guilt. He'd hate to be relieved at school. No one would leave him alone. But he'd just done exactly that to the girl he loved. When the bell rang, he packed up, and tried to put the finishing touches on the apology he was devising in his head, but when he turned to talk to her, Nathaniel was there.

"Um, hey, I'm really sorry that err, that things got so out of hand. The drawing was supposed to be a nice surprise for you, I – I just wanted to make you smile. If you don't want me to draw it, that's fine," he apologised.

"no, no, Nathaniel, don't worry. Ayla asked you to do it, and I can see why. You're an excellent artist. Draw the picture. you can even make me ladybug if you want," she smiled.

Marinette laid a hand on his arm, reassuringly, which made Nathaniel laugh a little. He was glad she didn't hate the idea of the picture because he was having fun drawing it.

Adrien felt a punch to the gut as Marinette touched Nathaniel's arm. how could she like him?! He was just an artist! Just some quiet kid who drew pictures at the back of the class! He was Adrien Agreste! Model! He was Chat Noir! Her partner! How could she be so blind?!

"hey do you want to sit with us at lunch today?" Nathaniel asked.

Marinette shrugged, "oh, sure."

Nathaniel grinned and began to head to the door so they could walk together. His hand kept nearly brushing against hers as they went, and Adrien feared that he would try holding it.

"Marinette wait!" he cried.

Marinette swung around and almost immediately turned a pretty shade of pink when she realised it was Adrien calling her.

"a-a-Adrien! Hi! Err… what's up?"

Adrien was distracted by how beautiful her eyes were for a moment, and forgot how to speak.

"I just – err – wanted to – err – say – err… that I'm… err… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said you were Ladybug in front of everyone, I know that's not something a superhero wants blurted out-"

Marinette tilted her head. "superhero? Adrien, are you ok? I'm not a superhero."

"but-"

Adrien was about to blurt out that he knew she had to be Ladybug because he was Chat Noir. He had momentarily forgotten that Nathaniel was leaning against the doorway of the class.

"Marinette?" he called.

"coming," she said.

Marinette's eyes lingered on Adrien in concern as she turned away from this conversation. Adrien watched her go, unable to find the words to stop her until it was too late.

"but you are to me," he whispered.

His shoulders dropped. Plagg rose from the bag to hover need Adrien's shoulder. He didn't know what to say, so he just patted Adrien's head.

"That could have gone worse," Plagg said.

"how?" Adrien challenged.

Plagg put his hand to his chin for a moment to think. Then, he declared, "she could have kissed him!"

Adrien's eyes widened with horror at the idea of her kissing anyone but him. Plagg was beginning to regret opening his mouth.

"Maybe ask her if you can hang out with her tonight, outside of school," Plagg suggested.

With no other plan, Adrien agreed. Marinette was sitting between Nathaniel and Ayla on one of those picnic benches, with Rose and Juleka opposite them. Everyone knew Rose and Juleka had been dating for months now. Adrien watched them from a distance for a moment.

The two girls were pushed up close together, so their legs were touching. Every now and then rose would glance out at Juleka for no other reason than to see how beautiful she was. Juleka didn't like the pickle in her sandwich, so she gave it to rose without a second thought. When they weren't eating, their hands were close enough on the table to hold. They were comfortable being close and touching.  
Adrien flicked his gaze to Marinette and Nathaniel. They were pressed against each other, and didn't seem to mind that their legs were touching. He kept leaning across her, and pointing to things on the paper in front of them, even though it made them touch even more. She smiled and laughed when he did. Both kept glancing at one another, then back at the paper, then back at each other, constantly. Then he bent down to grab an apple from his bag to give to her. she took it, gratefully, without a second thought. Full of jealously that made Plagg feel nervous, he stormed over to the table.

As much as Marinette loved her friends, she was sure they could have found a bigger table. She was squished in here next to Nathaniel and Ayla. Ayla had spread the initial sketch idea across the table to show Marinette. She kept leaning across, pushing Marinette into Nathaniel so often she might as well have been in his lap. He kept gesturing to things and telling her how he was going to perfect them, so she smiled and nodded encouragingly. Every time he saw her nod, he grinned, so he kept checking, and she kept smiling. Then Ayla got over excited and threw her arms out wide, knocking Marinette's food onto the floor. Marinette cried in alarm. Quick as a flash Nathaniel drew an apple out of his bag.

"I can't have my star model going hungry," he chuckled.

She smiled, gratefully, and took the apple. "thanks."

"I'd like to try sketching you. I mean, I know you've seen my comic book so you know I already can, but I'd like to actually do it in detail. Not from memory," Nathaniel explained.

"That sounds…" Marinette glanced at Ayla. Ayla was desperate to make this picture, probably just to tease her, but she was her best friend. She was supposed to tease her. "great."

"great! So I'll meet you tonight? By the louvre? Around six?" Nathaniel asked, hopefully.

"on one condition," Marinette countered.

"oh?" Nathaniel seemed anxious by this.

"you have to model this new jacket I designed. It'd be perfect for you and I need a model," she insisted.

Nathaniel tilted his head thoughtfully. A smile crept over his face. "so we'd be modelling together?"

"yeah, but tomorrow so I can finish the jacket after you finish sketching me," she smiled.

"sounds perfect!" Nathaniel beamed.

Marinette grinned back. Ayla elbowed her. "girl talking of models…"

It was then that Adrien reached the table, and forced a smile, even though he only wanted to scowl at Nathaniel.

"Hey Marinette!" he beamed.

"H-e-ey Adrien…" she stammered.

The girls welcomed him, and he smiled, politely, but ignored them.

"do you want to go to the err – park, with me tonight? To, err, study?" he asked.

Ayla gave Marinette a smug smirk. She knew that's what her best friend wanted more than anything else in the world. Marinette beamed for a moment, then glanced at Nathaniel, and her smile drooped.

"I'd love to Adrien, but I promised I'd hang with Nathaniel tonight," she said.

It ached to say, and it ached to hear. Adrien kept that smile anyway.

"oh, no problem. Maybe tomorrow then?"

"tomorrow too. We're working on an art piece," Nathaniel smiled at Marinette.

He didn't know what the jacket looked like, but if she made it, it must be art. Adrien growled under his breath.

"no problem… some other time then… maybe," he muttered.

"Yeah, any other time, I promise!" Marinette insisted.

Adrien nodded, and slunk away. Ayla sighed. she loved her friend, and she knew why she was refusing the one thing she wanted more than anything else, but she was frustrated about it too. They had worked so long for this, and it was HER FAULT they failed! Ayla gave her an apologetic look. Marinette shrugged.

"It's ok. they'll be another chance," she whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

It was awkward to be lingering outside the louvre waiting for Nathaniel, and her mind being stuck on Adrien wasn't making her any more comfortable.

"you couldn't break your promise, you did the right thing!" Tikki insisted.

"Yeah, I know, but… he just looked so disappointed!"

"you can't win them all Marinette."

"if there's one thing I know Tikki, it's I can't be in two places at once."

"Who are you talking to?" Nathaniel aked, amused.

"NATHANIEL! I err, I was talking to myself! I'm kinda nervous, I've never modelled for an artist before," Marinette lied.

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure you'll be great. Who knows, one day the picture might end up here!" Nathaniel smiled.

She laughed, and agreed. He rested a hand on her upper arm to reassure her nerves. she smiled back. Dressed in the shabbiest clothes he had – that were still designer and very expensive – Adrien was trying to blend in with the crowds to follow them. he growled to see this.

"You are one messed up kitty," Plagg said.

"Shut up and eat your cheese," Adrien countered.

Plagg didn't need to be told twice to ear his cheese.

"I've been thinking, and I think we should find somewhere you can sit comfortably, away from tourists, and I can sit and draw you. Not here," Nathaniel said, as the third tourist pushed past.

"How about by the river? There's plenty of seats there," Marinette suggested.

"lead the way," Nathanial smiled.

Adrien frowned as they headed out to the street. "where are they going?"

Try as he might, he couldn't stay hidden in the crowds, and keep an eye on them as they weaved through them. eventually, he lost track of them, and had no idea which way they had gone. Adrien growled in frustration.

"I should have followed as Cat Noir. At least that way I could watch from the rooftops!" he complained.

"Sure, because that would have made this whole night less of a waste of time," Plagg said, sarcastically.

"What am I gonna do Plagg?" Adrien sighed.

"Let her go," Plagg didn't even pause to think.

He didn't understand the idea of chasing someone who didn't want you. Chasing someone you love, and loves you, but you're separated forever by a sacred duty? That he could understand.

"I can't just let her go without a fight. We're partners. It'd be… she deserves better than Nathaniel!" Adrien spat his name in disgust.

The truth of the matter, the truth he didn't want to admit, was that if he had opened his eyes earlier, put two and two together earlier, she'd have fallen for him instead. He knew she didn't feel anything for him until their date. Then she'd fought with him to defeat Nathaniel, but afterwards… maybe if he'd stuck around… if he'd made sure she'd gotten home safe… maybe she wouldn't have fallen for him.

"If I can't have her, I can make sure he treats her how she deserves," Adrien said, stubbornly.

Plagg laughed, "how're you gonna do that? Jump through his window when he gets home and yell?"

Plagg continued to mock, but Adrien was looking thoughtful. No one would argue with Chat Noir. Especially if he came though their window specifically to yell at them. Adrien smirked smugly. He had a plan.

"but how much can you remember of when you were akumatized?" Marinette asked, curiously.

"why is it so important to you?" his eyes flicked up from his sketch pad in concern, "Did I do something to you while akumatized? I didn't mean it, whatever it was. You're important to me, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt you!"

A small smile crossed Marinette's face. She liked Nathaniel. Really she did. She just didn't love him. and she definitely didn't want to lead her on.

"no Nath. You didn't do anything to hurt me," Marinette promised.

"He didn't?" Tikki asked.

She wasn't sure if Marinette was deliberately not remembering the box he dropped on her and chat to trap them on the boat he was sinking, or if she'd just forgotten it.

"You invited me to your birthday party, but it was a party of two," Marinette explained.

"Like… a date?" he asked, nervously.

Marinette bowed her head, shyly. Nathaniel's stomach twisted.

"oh… I didn't… I mean… I don't – I really, really, really like you Marinette, but, like, as a friend!"

Marinette was swept up with relief. A smirk cracked across her face. "really?"

"well I did have a crush on you, once, but… I don't know I guess I grew out of it," Nathaniel shrugged.

He looked back down at his drawing, and kept sketching. Marinette was sat on the bench across from him, in the centre, with her knees up, tucked underneath her, and her arm under her chin.

"so, you wouldn't be upset if I went on a date with Adrien?" she asked, slowly.

Nathaniel guglped. He kept staring at the drawing. "only if he wouldn't be upset with me still sketching you."

She frowned. "excuse me?"

Nataniel looked up for a moment. "you're strange Marinette."

Marinette pulled a face. Nathaniel raised a hand urgently, and shook his head.

"Not in a bad way! In a really cool, interesting way. Your face is so… emotional. You can see the intelligence and creativity in your eyes when you're thinking, and when you're excited your nose wrinkles, and when you're shy you blush deeper around your ears, and then… I don't know. There's something deeper. More mysterious. You're beautiful, which is always fun to draw, but you're also really interesting to try and capture, emotionally, y'know?"

Marinette thought about what he was saying. Nathaniel sketched a little faster, since he was concerned about her standing up and leaving right now. but she didn't move.

"so, you're not in love with me anymore? As long as I let you draw me, you won't get upset if I date other people?" she asked.

Nathaniel shrugged, "you're your own person Marinette. I love that about you. Find someone else who does, and I hope you'll be very happy together."

Marinette smiled. She stood up, and wandered over to him. Nathaniel's heart beat faster in alarm. She bent down, and kissed his forehead.

"You are amazing," she said.

Nathaniel gazed into those eyes of hers again. The eyes that held everything he had ever felt, all pinned in by stars. For a moment, his chest tightened. Then he blushed and bowed his head. He could feel the heat in his cheeks.

"Yeah, sure, whatever, sit back down," he muttered.

Marinette felt giddy. She had been worried about hurting his feelings, but if he was really over her, there'd be no problems!


	4. Chapter 4

Chat Noir wandered around the room, examining the drawings pinned up on the wall. Some, he noted, had water colour. Some were just sketches. Others had minimal colour. Most were more pop-art comic book style though. Those were just the ones that made the wall! The vast majority were scrapped and abandoned part way through. His bin was over flowing with paper. Chat realised, much to his horror, the vast majority contained Marinette. Some from way back before he'd even started the school. Nathaniel had loved her for longer than he'd known her.  
That put him in an odd position.  
He didn't want to lose her to this… artist… but he did want her to be happy. If she loved him, and he loved her, he couldn't stand between that.

"Yeah mum, let me put my art away first!"

Chat didn't have time to run. He didn't have time to react before the bedroom door opened and Nathaniel appeared. As mature as Adrien had been two seconds ago, he was burning with jealousy when he caught a glimpse of the sketches in his hand.

"C-chat Noir? What are you doing here?" Nathaniel asked, nervously.

"Just, admiring your work," Adrien ran a claw along the wall beside one of the pictures.

"careful!" Nathaniel gasped.

"I can do worse than that Nathaniel. I'm made for destruction. And I never lie. So you can believe me when I say if you dare hurt Marinette, I can hurt you worse,"

Adrien warned.

Nathaniel frowned. "Marinette? But-"

Chat's tail flicked with hatred and his words were becoming hissed at the end, "I don't know what she sees in you anyway."

"sees in me? No, you don't understand, she's not-"

Nathaniel began.

Chat cut him off, "don't play games. Don't hurt her. don't forget what will happen if you do."

Adrien picked up a drawing that was left on the table, with the plan to tear it in half to make his point. Nathaniel squeaked in horror. Then Adrien actually looked at the picture. This one wasn't just Marinette. It was all of them. she was there, sure, but so was Ayla. And Nino. And Rose and Juleka. Adrien himself was sitting in the front row. It was his first day. It had to be. Ayla and Marinette were sitting together, chatting, where chole usually sat, and chole was sat behind him, making googley eyes. Adrien felt a stab of guilt. Marinette had hated him them, and now they were friends. He couldn't ruin that.

Adrien raised his head. Nathaniel's eyes were fixed on the picture like a terrified rabbit.

"make her happy. That's what she deserves," he warned.

Nathaniel nodded urgently. Adrien dropped the picture and let it float to the floor. Nathaniel darted forward to snatch the picture. He held it to his chest until Adrien had left. Nathaniel was really shaken up. He phoned Marinette.

"he did what?!" she gasped.

"who did what?!" Tikki asked, curiously.

"Chat Noir-"

There was a tap at the glass window that lead to her balcony. She looked up to see the cat's cocky grin. She gave him an unimpressed look. Tikki dove under the duvet covers.

"I'll call you back."

She hung up, and beckoned him in. Adrien swung into her room, showing off slightly, as he did.

"Good day princess," he smirked.

"Nathaniel says you threatened him. what's your problem?" she demanded.

Adrien stood up, and dusted himself down sheepishly.

"oh he told you about that huh? I err…" his eyes flicked to the desk.

There was a row of stuffed dolls that he'd only seen once before. When the Puppeteer was in charge of them. his eyes were focused on the Evilstrator that laid, so close to the ladybug doll. He picked it up. Maybe she really did love Nathaniel. Marinette snatched the doll from him.

"Nathaniel works really hard on his drawings! I worked really hard on these! You're not going to destroy them!" she stated sharply.

Adrien straightened up in surprise. "Marinette, I wouldn't!"

"then why did you threaten it?" she demanded.

"I – I just – err…" Adrien bowed his head.

He had let his jealousy get the better of him, and now he was feeling guilty about it.

"he says he won't be my model tomorrow because he's worried about you turning up, and I don't have anyone to replace him! I don't even like Nathaniel in that way. Not that it's important but I like-" Marinette cut herself off.

Chat's ears flicked eagerly. His eyes watched her, greedily, desperate for her to finish that sentence.

"who?!" he demanded.

"does it matter? You'd just go over to them and threaten them, and then you'd get arrested for attacking one of the most protected boys in Paris out of jealously! Jealousy!" the anger had vanished from her voice as she tried not to giggle.

He felt a twinge of affection to hear her giggle, but it only made the guilt crush him a little more.

"sorry. I just don't want you to end up with someone you won't be happy with…" his finger curled around the tail of the little doll that looked like him, and moved it closer to Ladybug, until their hands were together.

"I don't know why you feel you need to protect me all of a sudden, but I'd rather you didn't. I have Ayla for that already," she said.

Adrien chuckled. That was true. If anyone dare try to intimidate Marinette, Ayla was there to stop them. to fight them. she was a true friend that one. Adrien straightened up.

"I promise I'll never do anything that stupid again. I just want you to be happy," he said seriously. Although he added in his head, with me.

Marinette sighed and looked up at the poster of Adrien on her wall. More to herself than him, she muttered. "Then find a way to get Adrien to notice me."

Adrien frowned in confusion. He looked up at the poster hanging above her bed. As his eyes flicked from poster to poster to framed picture of him, his smile widened.

"you like me?" he muttered.

"what?" she asked.

"you like Adrien?" he repeated, eagerly.

Under the bed covers Tikki rolled her eyes. How could Plagg had ended up with such an idiot? Marinette's eyes flicked around the room as a ball of anxiety filled her chest.

"what?! No – I-" Marinette struggled to find an excuse.

She wasn't never great at thinking on her feet. Adrien's smile grew as she made herself flustered again. She was adorable. More than that. She was gorgeous. Adrien couldn't hold it back anymore. He grabbed her by the arm, pulled her close, and kissed her. Marinette squealed in alarm for a moment. Adrien closed his eyes to take in the moment.  
He finally had his ladybug! He finally had his lady as his own and no one else could change that. He savoured the lingering moment as much as he possibly could.  
The way she eased into him as she realised what was happening. The way her arm snake up around his neck, pulling him closer. He opened one eye to sneak a peek at her feet. He smiled through the kiss. She had to go on her tiptoes to reach him, and he was bending down anyway! suddenly, she squeaked and pushed him away urgently. Adrien watched in surprise as she turned bright pink and leapt back away from him.

"no! n-n-no, no, no! no! I can't kiss you! I love Adrien, what would he say if he found out?! I can't believe this, I'm so stupid!" she squealed.

Adrien laughed, and tried to catch her hand as she paced back and forth, panicking.

"hey, hey, hey, calm down! Look at me," he insisted.

Reluctantly Marinette turned to face him. He took her hands in each of his, and smiled at her warmly. He couldn't stop himself from smiling at her.

"Plagg, time to transform," he said.

Marinette's stomach dropped and her eyes bulged. "No - wait!"

There was a flash that engulfed his whole body. Marinette closed her eyes tightly. Plagg bounced against the wall, and darted under the bed covers where Tikki was hiding.

"Plagg!" She gasped in delight.

Her little wings buzzed against him excitedly as she leapt over him, trying to get a good enough hold to hug him. Laughing, Plagg just wrapped his arms around her, and pulled him in close to nuzzle his head against hers. They hadn't seen each other since they were all in the box. Now they were back together they were going to make the most of it.

"Took long enough!" Tikki teased.

"What?! Adrien figured it out! Marinette still hasn't!" Plagg argued.

"Open your eyes," they heard Adrian say.

Plagg lifted the duvet so that he and Tikki could sit together and watch their plan come to conclusion.

"Open your eyes my lady," he whispered.

She shook her head stubbornly and closed her eyes tighter. "No one can know who you are. No one."

Adrien gave her an affectionate smile, but he couldn't help feeling a little frustrated that she wouldn't look at him. He held her hand and brought her close enough to rest his forehead on hers. She bowed her head. He placed a finger on her chin to raise her head.

"Please... trust me..." he whispered.

Marinette felt her chest tighten. She did trust Chat. She had to. They were made for each other. Two halves of a whole. She had to trust him. Slowly, hesitantly, she opened her eyes. Her eyes flicked up to his face. He grinned. She gasped.

"Adrien?" She breathed.

"Hello my lady," he smiled back.

His eyes kept flicking back down to her lips, waiting for her to let him kiss her again. Marinette's mind was a whirl. Full of questions. Most of her was screaming that she had finally kissed the boy of her dreams, but the rest of her was screaming because she had already done it once before.  
He was so close still. His soft fringe brushed against hers. She could feel his warm breath against her skin. His hand was against hers. Holding it like treasure. She glanced down at his lips.

So close.

So kissable.

She latched her arms around his neck, running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. She pulled him down into another kiss. Adrien filled with a warm glow of delight so strong he couldn't hold it in. It came out as a long purr.  
His purring tickled her slightly, and she ended up giggling instead of concentrating on kissing.

She pulled away to rest her forehead against his again. "How can you make that noise when I can barely breath?!"

His eyes sparkled as he moved his hand down to her lower back. "Are you saying I leave you breathless?"

"You always did!" She laughed.

He grinned and pulled her back to him, back to the kiss. Both were completely filled with an indescribable feeling of complete bliss. Under the bed covers, Tikki was squealing with delight. Plagg beamed a smile bigger than he ever had before.

Their plan had worked.

They could be together again now.

It was about time!


End file.
